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Phi
Alpha Theta Welcome to Phi Alpha Theta, the History honor society for undergraduates and graduate students! The National Honor Society was established in 1921 and the Western Kentucky University Eta Pi Chapter in 1960 by 28 charter members. Our charter hangs in the main office of the History Department, 200 Cherry Hall, where our mailbox is also located. If you are interested in learning more about Phi Alpha Theta, coming to our monthly meetings and events, or joining the society, see our bulletin board (shown below) which hangs outside the History Department on the 2nd Floor of Cherry Hall. You may also contact our Faculty Advisor, Dr. Malia Formes or our current president, Tiffany Best, by leaving a note in our mailbox in the History Department office.
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Are you interested in History? If so, consider joining Phi Alpha Theta, the History Honors Society at WKU. Phi Alpha Theta holds monthly meetings during term and provides a casual setting for serious (and not-so-serious) pursuit of the past. If you are interested in participating or just looking for fun people to talk to, come to any of our meetings and we will be glad to help you join.
Membership
Requirements:
The requirements for Phi Alpha Theta membership are as follows: an undergraduate
student must have completed at least 12 semester hours (24 credit hours) in
history with a grade in all history courses averaging 3.1 or better; must have
a 3.0 grade average outside history and must rank in the top 35% of their undergraduate
class. You do not need to be an Honors Student or a History major or minor to
join. Graduate students must have completed 30% of the residence requirements
for the Master's degree with an average in all courses between an A and a B.
Faculty above the rank of graduate assistant are eligible for membership without
any further requirements.
Lifetime membership is $45, which entitles the member to a certificate of membership, a membership card, and a one year subscription to both The Historian and The News Letter. Once membership is received, it may be listed on resumes, or the member can purchase a pin to wear. Honor cords for commencement are also available for purchase.
History of Phi
Alpha Theta:
Phi Alpha Theta was established at the University of Arkansas on March 1, 1921.
It has grown to encompass more than 700 chapters in 50 states, more chapters
than any other accredited honor society. P.A.T. is a professional society whose
mission is "to promote the study of history through the encouragement of
research, good teaching, publication and the exchange of learning and ideas
among historians." They seek to "bring students, teachers and writers
of history together for intellectual and social exchanges, which promote and
assist historical research and publication by members in a variety of ways."
The National Phi Alpha Theta Society sponsors a variety of benefits for its members. There
are biennial conventions for undergraduate, graduate and faculty members; members at all
levels are welcome to present papers. P.A.T. also sponsors special programs at the annual
meetings of a number of the larger historical organization conferences such as the
American Historical Association conference and the Organization of American Historians
conference. P.A.T. publishes The Historian, a distinguished historical quarterly
in which all members are invited to publish scholarly works, and The News Letter
which covers the activities of and provides information about P.A.T.
Prizes and
Scholarships:
The National organization also sponsors six annual paper prize awards.
The Lynn W. Turner and Founder’s Awards are open to undergraduate members.
There are also various scholarship awards, almost all of them for students entering
into or already engaged in graduate study in history. Students interested in
either the paper prizes or scholarship awards should contact the chapter president,
the faculty advisor Dr. Malia Formes,
or the National Society care of Dr. Graydon A. Tunstall, Jr., Executive Director,
Univ. of South Florida, SOC 107, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, FL 33620. Tel:
(800) 394-8195. Fax: (813) 974-8215. E-mail: phialpha@cambio.acomp.usf.edu
You might want to ask for a copy of their booklet "This is Phi Alpha Theta"
which details benefits available to members.
Last Revised: April 28, 2003 .
